Decision leaves Kuntz wondering

Published: June 7, 2000 12:00AM

Capt. Frank Kuntz of the Wooster Fire Department says he was wronged by the city when he was passed over for the position of assistant fire chief.

He questions why 30 years experience, the highest civil service examination score by nearly four points, and numerous positive employee evaluations were not enough to warrant the promotion, which went to Lt. Stan Brown.

The absence of an answer from the city, Kuntz said, hurts.

"I was shocked," the 52-year-old said. "I was very disappointed, very hurt. After 30 years of service to the fire department, that this happened to me, it hurts."

Kuntz said he is not sure whether he will pursue legal action or some other course. He will do something, though, he said, and he will make that decision within the next 10 days.

According to civil service examination results, Kuntz, a captain with the department for 25 years, scored a combined 99.33 points. He scored 55.5 points on the written test, 36.33 on the oral exam, and was given 7.5 seniority points.

Brown, who has been with the city for nearly 12 years, had a combined score of 95.64 -- 56.7 on the written, 33.44 on the oral and 5.5 seniority points. Brown said he was surprised when he found out he was selected, but did not want to comment beyond that.

Joe Linz, with a combined score of 86.65, rounded out the top three. According to Wooster's charter, once the top three candidates are identified, they all become equal and Mayor Jamie Howey can choose any of the three, but only after a psychological assessment and a final interview process, the latter of which Howey didn't take part in, Wooster Administrator Jean Baird said.

Howey said he relies on reports from the three department heads involved in the interview, namely Baird, Personnel Manager Kathy Gallo and Fire Chief Dan Bishop.

Kuntz, however, questions whether Bishop had the opportunity to make a report to the mayor.

"Normally, the fire chief talks to the city about the high scorer and a recommendation," Kuntz said. "(Bishop) said the city didn't ask him and he wasn't able to give (a recommendation)."

Bishop refused to comment, instead deferring questions to Baird. Howey said he did have a recommendation from the fire chief, but didn't go into details as to who was recommended.

Howey shed very little light on the reasoning behind his choice before City Council's Monday meeting. During the mayor's quarterly report, Howey said Brown was chosen "because we liked him."

"(My appointment) was made part because of recommendations from department heads," he said, "and part is what I feel."

While he wouldn't give an exact reason as to why he chose Brown over Kuntz, Howey did say Tuesday that rumors Brown was hired because he is friends with the mayor have no basis in reality.

"I have never been with the man in my life other than one week that he spent at my cabin with a bunch of other firefighters," he said. "Maybe people ought to look deeper than what they want (the reasoning) to be."

No reasoning Kuntz receives from the mayor will make him believe he wasn't the best candidate for the job, he said. Still, it would be nice if he were given some answers, he said.

"I have always had an excellent efficiency rating," Kuntz said, "a two-year fire science program, numerous commendations. I had all the qualifications that anyone would need for the assistant fire chief position.

"I had a tremendous amount of experience on fire grounds. I felt that when you put all this together, the test scores, the experience, that I would have been promoted to the job and I wasn't. Almost everyone thought that and it was a shock. It sent a shock wave through the department."

And while he understands how the city's charter provides for the appointment to the position, what Kuntz said he doesn't understand is why the administration will not tell him why he was passed over.

"I asked why and only was told 'We can pick from the top three,'" he said. "That's not a reason. That's just the way the system is set up.

"It was just, 'we picked.' That's just the way they handled this. I've been around working for the city for 30 years. I'm not somebody who just started. I've been able to watch and see how things are done over the last 30 years, and I don't think I've been treated fairly at all."

Mike Priest, president of Firefighters Local 764, said he talked with Kuntz, but there was nothing the union could do for the veteran firefighter.

"From a union standpoint, we're concerned with two things," Priest said. "A, if they broke the law, and B, if they broke the contract. I talked to an international representative and to the union's lawyer, and gave Frank some avenues and options, but it's not really a union issue."

Priest did say he felt Kuntz at least deserved an explanation as to why he was passed over.

"I think they owe it to him," he said. "I'm not saying they legally have to, but his evaluations are good, he's got the credentials, he was number one on the test -- you don't have to pick him, but you should at least have the decency to tell him why."